


Three times Billy got the door to Steve's house shut in his face and the one time he was finally let in

by plasticism



Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: Billy gets creative, Christmas, Christmas Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Harringrove, M/M, Mistletoe Magic, Post Season 2, a step-by-step manual by Billy Hargrove, how to win Steve Harrington over, prom date
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-08
Updated: 2019-12-08
Packaged: 2021-02-26 23:15:01
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,156
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21697393
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/plasticism/pseuds/plasticism
Summary: Winter prom is getting closer and Billy needs a date.
Relationships: Harringrove - Relationship, billy Hargrove / Steve Harrington
Comments: 8
Kudos: 110





	Three times Billy got the door to Steve's house shut in his face and the one time he was finally let in

**I.**  
Rejection was nothing he was used to. Still Billy Hargrove – blond, trained, good looking, skilled at basketball, incarnated dream of nearly every girl in high school – had to watch Steve Harrington – tall, big beautiful eyes, former king of Hawkins High – shutting the door of his big, fancy house into his face without batting an eye, leaving Billy alone with the words on his tongue he concocted so well for hours. Billy stared at the wreath made of fir tree green hanging at the entry with that red bow on it and a small wooden sign that says: Welcome. He didn't feel welcome right now.

Halloween seemed months ago, Thanksgiving just passed and since he had that proper fight with King Steve around Halloween, where his little stepsister Max intervened so effectively, his body was doing the most ridiculous things. The injection, he had thought at first, must have been that fucking drug Max choose to fight with. Which in his opinion had been more than an unfair move. He had been knocked out for hours in a delirium where he hadn't been able to tell what had been a dream or reality. Billy could remember a slimy, distorted dog falling out of the refrigerator at the Byers' house and he was pretty sure by now that his mind had played some tricks on him. Might have been a dead rabbit. Who could tell these days? Maybe a genetically modified one. But he was also sure now that this medication couldn't have a long term effect on him and if so then it was a pretty awkward one. He wasn't medically trained, but no appetite, sweaty hands, heavy pulse, and heart-throb every time he caught a glimpse of Harrington must mean something else. Billy could be an ignorant douche sometimes but these signs spoke for themselves. He had just needed time for his brain to catch up and it took him several weeks to come to terms with it. Seemed like he was in love. This realization had come with another revelation: Billy had never felt that way with a girl and the sudden possibility that he was actually gay hit him without a warning. Just one way to find out, he had told himself, trying to play it cool. He had always felt like he was different. Maybe this was the answer.

The school was decorated all Christmas-like and there was this warm feeling that settled in that time of the year. People seemed to act kinder towards each other and Billy had been making fun of this every year. Because what good did it do when they all started treating each other with the same old nasty comments and bullying after Christmas was over? But this year was different. This year Billy contained himself, this year he behaved like a decent human being trying not to start a fight even when provoked. Christmas was like a free pass, a good excuse to act civil and it made him look more mature. The downside of that was that it lead to more crushes and invitations to the Winter Dance. He had turned each and every one down, telling people he already promised to go with someone else. Now the whole school seemed to puzzle over that chosen one. That one had just shut the door before his nose. Billy was never one to give a damn about what other people thought so taking the former king of Hawkins High to winter prom would just fit his nature. And there was another thing: Billy always got what he wanted. So getting a door in his face was unacceptable.

 **II.**  
The next Sunday Billy was standing at the door again. He had done some research on Steve, learned that he had been together with Nancy Wheeler who then left him for that weirdo Jonathan Byers. He still couldn't wrap his head around that and the fact that Harrington had been watching a horde of kids at the Byers the evening they had gotten in a life-changing fight. By knowing that Steve just got out of a relationship Billy understood the calm and melancholy atmosphere around the other man. He wouldn't know how that feels, never got steady with anyone. Never wanted to until now. And Billy knew that this state he was in was fooling with him, that there were a lot of hormones involved that made his body crave after Steve's attention. He hated it and he enjoyed it in equal measure.

Ms. Harrington had opened the door and was now eyeing him up, his leather jacket, his open shirt that presented his waxed chest and the bunch of flowers in his hand. In an attempt to save himself and Steve – because no matter how much Billy had told himself that he didn't care what other people thought, he wouldn't want his dad to know and he wouldn't want to cause Steve trouble and gamble away his chance – he handed her the flowers with a bright, flirtatious smile. And there was that tiny bit of hope that she would invite him in.

“Ms. Harrington, I'm sorry to disturb you on a Sunday morning.”

Steve's mom looked so confused as if he had just asked her to marry him. Or maybe it was the open shirt when the weather looked like it would snow any minute.

“For you,” he said nearly forcing her to take the flowers by stepping closer. “I was wondering if Steve is home?”

She took a step back and Billy already imagined to step over that imaginary line that was separating him from Steve, but Ms. Harrington just turned around and yelled after her son, who came down the stairs in his pajamas a moment later. Billy could just stare at him in a mixture of adoration and horror. Maybe 9am wasn't the best time to stop by, he had to admit. Steve's silken pajamas looked pretty cozy and as expensive as the whole guy. The first two buttons were open and he caught a glimpse of dark chest hair, then forced his eyes to follow Steve's collarbones upwards to his face. Ms. Harrington didn't look amused with whom her son kept company and whispered something that sounded like 'make it quick' in Steve's direction. Steve looked tired, not the kind of tired when you just got out of bed, more the heartbroken kind. The hallway was decorated with garlands and christmas lights and the smell of waffles flowed through the door. It was mouthwatering. Billy recalled the words he wanted to say so badly – already imagining himself sitting at the kitchen table eating waffles and drinking coffee – but before he could even blink the door got slammed in his face – again. This time Steve had raised an eyebrow.

**III.**  
School just wasn't the place to talk, Billy decided. And Steve never asked him about his visits, just continued to ignore him and even called in sick when sports lesson was about to start. As if he was afraid to face him. Maybe the flowers had not been his most creative idea. When he thought back, it had been pretty cheesy. So Billy decided to get a mistletoe for his next visit on Saturday. Only two weeks until the prom and he was getting antsy. Not much time to win someone over. This time Billy chose late afternoon around 5pm. First, he made sure the car of Steve's parents was gone and hoped for the best. The wreath was still welcoming him and he felt the irony. Billy took out the hammer of the bag he brought alongside with a box full of nails, then started hammering one of the nails into the door frame. Right the moment he was putting a mistletoe up, Steve opened the door, looking at Billy first, then up to the mistletoe and back to Billy again with confused Bambi eyes. Billy just stood there smiling like an idiot, like he actually did something really great and waited for his reward.

“I'm not going to kiss you!”, Steve burst out, his voice high with irritation.

“It's a rule,” Billy said, stating a well-known fact.

“Screw that rule. You put a nail into our door frame!”

“Symbolizes what you do to me every time you shut the door.”

“You're not a door frame,” Steve pointed out blankly.

“Yeah, I actually have feelings,” Billy heard himself say before he could stop these words from coming out.

Steve stared at him for a long second, then snatched the mistletoe and shut the door harshly. If Billy had known that Steve took a vase out of the kitchen cabinet and put the mistletoe onto his desk just minutes later he wouldn't have felt that miserable. Anger was a feeling Billy was used to, but it just wouldn't kick in. He really had thought Steve would at least laugh about this, maybe letting him in this time, maybe starting a conversation. The wall felt thicker than ever. First thing that popped into his head when he got home was that he could just continue bullying Steve, forcing a reaction – he just didn't feel like it.

 **\+ I.**  
The prom was moving closer. Just a few days left. Billy wanted to give up on his mission but he found himself thinking about a way to get what he wanted, again and again, stubborn as he was. The good thing about people talking at school was that he was very sure Steve had no date, would maybe not even be going. It made sense. Of course, he wasn't over a lost love so fast. Billy got that. He just didn't want to accept it.

So the day of the prom he found himself in front of Steve's door again, dressed in a black and fawn suit. The nail in the door frame had been removed. Billy sighed and pushed himself to ring the bell. This time it wasn't Steve nor his mother who opened him but Mr. Harrington. Billy's heart sank into his boots and his brain lost contact to its speech center. Gladly there seemed no need to say anything when Mr. Harrington invited him in and Billy couldn't believe he was actually stepping through that door.

“Steve! Your date is here!”

That was all Billy heard the man yell before he vanished back into what Billy assumed was the living room. That Steve's dad had thought of him as Steve's prom date was irritating and a complete mystery to him. Maybe he should have used less eyeliner. It didn't seem like Mr. Harrington approved of this, not asking for Billy's name, not starting a conversation, just leaving him waiting here on his own, but at least he had let him in. Little Christmas miracle. The hallway was blinking bright with all its little lights and fancy garlands. It smelled like fir tree and cookies. Seemed to Billy like a cliché, but a nice one. Steve came down the stairs with that confused look he always had lately whenever he met Billy.

“You can't go like this.”

It was the first thing Billy said when he looked at Steve, dressed in jeans and a polo shirt. Not that it didn't look nice on him but it was definitely not an outfit to attend a prom.

“Because I won't go anywhere.”

“You will,” Billy said. “You're running around at school looking like a kicked puppy with your sad eyes. It's disgusting, Harrington. You put on your suit right now and we're going to that fucking prom and smoke and drink and enjoy a freaking good evening.”

Steve made these big eyes like he was surprised by the speech Billy just gave him. Billy clapped his hands and made a little gesture to the stairs.

“Go.”

And Steve gave in. Just like that. Billy folded his arms in disbelieving approval and waited another 15 minutes in fear Steve wouldn't come down again. But he did. Billy had known that guy would rock a suit and a bow tie but Steve nearly took his breath away when he was walking down the stairs with a frown on his face and half a smile on his lips.

“Alright, Hargrove … drive me to that damn prom.”

Billy opened the door with a bright smile on his lips. He couldn't help himself.

“After you.”

That actually made Steve laugh and Billy felt a little bit proud. He had not seen Steve's mood brighten up at school so this was an improvement.

“We're going as two singles,” Steve clarified on the way to the metallic-blue Camaro.

Billy had been about to put his arm around Steve's waist, stopped and then did it anyway, testing the water.

“Of course,” he said, smiling when Steve didn't push him away – and Billy opened the car door for him like a real gentleman.

Steve's words would surely not stop him from asking for a dance later.

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoyed this little piece of christmas fluff! Please leave some love! <3


End file.
